While asphalt is one of the most popular, cost-effective and versatile paving materials, it does have some shortcomings. In addition to traffic and seasonal changes, extreme cold weather, heavy rains and snow, excessive precipitation and repeated salting will eventually cause wear and tear, and cracks in the paved surface of your Cambridge property.
If you have signed up for an annual maintenance plan, your paving contractor will be able to spot early signs of deterioration and repair minor flaws in a timely manner. Proactive investment of time and routine upkeep will enhance the life of the pavement and save you expensive repairs or repaving costs in the long run.
However, if you do not have an ongoing maintenance plan, and have started noticing cracks in your paved surface, hire the services of professional pavers such as K-W Cornerstone Paving Ltd. Our skilled crew will identify the types of cracks in your pavement and treat them efficiently through resurfacing or repaving.
Asphalt Repair cs. New Asphalt Paving - How do You Decide?
While repairs will fix only minor damages and wear and tear, any major deterioration will most likely require new asphalt paving to be installed. Professional pavers will consider numerous factors before giving you recommendations on repairing or repaving your pavement. This includes:
Age of the Original Pavement
Although most pavements last between 20 to 30 years, the local weather conditions and the amount of traffic could shorten their life by several years. You can add as many as 15 years with a simple resurfacing job, however, if the pavement is close to its expected lifespan, it may be better to consider repaving.
Effort and Labour Needed
At times, even if the surface cracks are superficial, the amount of work and time that will go into patching and repairs may not be proportionate to the benefits that you will derive out of resurfacing. This is especially true if there are early signs of underlying issues, or your pavement is already at the high end of its life span. In such cases, the paving contractors may suggest repaving instead of repairs.
Condition of the Base
As asphalt pavements comprise layers of aggregate materials, resurfacing may be a viable option when the lower layers are undamaged and strong enough to support a fresh layer. Professional pavers will fill and repair the apparent cracks and potholes and then lay a new surface on top, to make your pavement look as good as new. In fact, the cracking pattern may give you a fairly accurate indication of the level of damage to your paved surface:
Fatigue/ Alligator Cracks: This is a common type of asphalt cracking caused by harsh weather, inadequate drainage and insufficient foundation materials. The surface looks dry and fractured, like the skin of an alligator. Your pavers can do a full-depth patching to fix such cracks.
Block Cracks: Improper laying of the aggregate layers or extreme low temperatures can cause the surface to develop massive rectangular or square shaped cracks. Repair these cracks with a thin overlay.
Edge Cracks: Poor drainage, insufficient time for the aggregate materials to cure, or strong frost heaves can cause cracks at the edges of the road or the parking lot, or near a curb. To address this problem, the crew will clear out all overgrowth and debris near the edges and seal the cracks with an asphalt sealant.
Longitudinal or Reflective Cracks: Due to mediocre joint structures of traffic lanes, the paved surface may develop linear cracks. These are repaired by applying a sealant. Reflective cracks may indicate deeper issues that extend from the foundation layer to the top surface. However, it is easy to fix them through simple crack filling.
Slippage Cracking: If the asphalt aggregate has a high sand content, it may not bond properly with the other materials in the mixture. This sometimes causes crescent shaped cracks which need to be addressed immediately through partial or full-depth patch-up.
Transverse Cracks: Extreme low temperatures causes the aggregate materials to shrink, while high traffic will further widen the cracks. Such perpendicular cracking, also known as transverse cracks can be fixed through patching, if detected early. However, once the cracks deepen, water will seep into the inner layers, leaving you no choice but to repave.
Quality Asphalt Paving and Crack Filling in Cambridge & Kitchener
At K-W Cornerstone Paving Ltd, we pour our skills, knowledge and experience into every project we take on, and have proudly served the communities of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph, since 1957. We work with several commercial, municipal, institutional and industrial clients and offer cost-effective plans to extend the life of pavements, as well as maintain their appearance.
If you need any crack filling, crack patching or crack sealing services in Cambridge or Kitchener, bring us on board and our expert crew will handle all your asphalt paving repairs. You can count on us for quality materials, smooth finishes and on-time service.
Call us at 519-743-6411 or contact us online to request a quote for new asphalt paving, crack filling and asphalt repair service in the Cambridge area.